Tales of Reaver: Dead Memories
by JainaSolo86
Summary: Albion is again at peace. Queen Nichole has bravely defeated the Crawler and the threat is over. When one days, Kalin comes back to Albion to announce that shadows have been seen around Aurora, the Queen goes to the grim Wraithmarsh to retrieve an ancient amulet. But in the isolated marsh she will find someone who will change the lives of everyone...especially Reaver.
1. Chapter 1

After a very long time of struggling, war and despair, Albion was at peace.

It had already been six months since the Crawler was defeated, and with it, the fear and the uncertainty on every inhabitant of both Albion and Aurora. Everyone loved the Queen for her brave actions against the shadows that had threatened both lands for such a long time and for the fair leadership she had displayed since she was crowned.

Queen Nichole was a nice monarch and hero: since the beginning of her reign, she had always had the best interests of Albion at heart, and she was willing to do anything if it would benefit her people.

Now that peace had returned to her beloved kingdom, she had devoted herself to help Page build a better future for the long forgotten people of Albion, and she had ordered more schools, shelters and orphanages built around Bowerstone and other towns, despite Reaver's efforts to use those buildings to expand his blooming industries.

Things seemed to be going perfectly and the threat of the Crawler seemed to be something of the past, a long forgotten bad dream.

But one day, things changed.

Kalin had just arrived to the royal palace requesting an audience with the Queen.

Queen Nichole, together with Captain Ben Finn and Page, waited for her in the War Room, anxious to find out what had happened.

- "Your Majesty"- said Kalin bowing to her as she entered the room- "I need to talk to you urgently".

- "Welcome Kalin"- replied the Queen happily- "I'm so glad to see you again".

- "You won't be when I tell you the reason of my visit. I'm afraid I bring distressing news"- Kalin replied with a look that the Queen hadn't seen in a long time.

Queen Nichole's smile faded.

- "Is there something wrong in Aurora?"- she asked.

Kalin looked down sadly.

- "Las week, a child went missing while he was playing around some dunes right outside town. We looked for him everywhere but there was no trace of the child. A few days ago, a merchant found him, pale as a ghost, hiding behind some crates"- Kalin approached the Queen- "The child swears that some shadows chased him around the desert and that he was too afraid to come out".

The Queen frowned.

- "Shadows? But…it can't be! We defeated them all!"

- "Are you sure that the kid is not imagining things?"- said Captain Finn raising his eyebrow- "The desert can play pretty good tricks on your mind".

- "That's what we thought too"- continued Kalin- "But then more people started claiming that they had seen shadows around the desert. That's why I decided to investigate the matter further…And I saw it…a pale shadow, weaker than the ones we used to fight back then, but a shadow nevertheless…"

- "But…how is it possible?"- asked Queen Nichole, hardly believing Kalin's words.

- "I do not know, Your Majesty"- replied Kalin sadly- "But Aurora cannot suffer again the same fate it did…"

- "We must do something"- said the Queen firmly- "Aurora is part of Albion: I won't let you suffer".

- "And what can we do? I suppose we could go to Aurora and defeat them but, will they come back again?"- asked Page.

- "Fighting them is not the solution; they will keep coming back"- said Kalin- "But I know how to destroy them once and for all…it won't be easy though".

- "We'll do what's necessary to protect the people"- replied the Queen- "What's your plan?"

Kalin remained silent for a moment and sighed deeply.

- "I have read in an ancient book that there's an amulet somewhere in Albion that can make darkness disappear with its power: The Eye of Avo".

- "Then we'll retrieve it"- said the Queen- "Do you have any idea where it may be?"

- "I do"- said Kalin with a troubled expression- "It is hidden in the darkest place of Albion, a cursed place where light does not reach anymore: the Wraithmarsh".

- "The Wraithmarsh? Why couldn't it be located somewhere less…creepy and dangerous?"- said Captain Finn scoffing.

- "We need to be careful there. I have heard it's full of banshees and other creatures that kill whoever dares to penetrate it on sight"- added Page.

- "You are right, it's a very dangerous place to go; that's why I'll go alone"- said Queen Nichole firmly.

- "What? I really hope you are kidding"- said Captain Finn alarmed.

- "I'm not, Captain. I'm not risking any of your lives on this mission, you are all needed here".

- "I'm not letting you go by yourself, Nikki!"- he shouted- "What if something happens to you?"

The Queen looked at him with wide-open eyes and blushed.

- "Captain, please…"

Page cleared her throat loudly.

- "This is all very sweet but let's not forget our main concern here"- she said- "And for once in my life I agree with Ben, the Wraithmarsh is way too dangerous for you to go by yourself, Your Majesty".

- "I'm afraid that's my final decision: Kalin will return to Aurora to assist her people, Captain Finn will remain here just in case Bowerstone needs protection and you will handle bureaucratic affairs while I'm away"- said the Queen.

- "Nikki, please!"- complained Finn.

The Queen approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder, smiling sweetly.

- "I will be fine, Ben. I promise I'll come back soon".

The next days, Queen Nichole spent most of her time organizing her mission to the dangerous Wraithmarsh. She had never been there, but she had read about it and had heard some grim stories. She knew that her late father, the hero of Bowerstone, had been there once, but he had never really told her anything about it.

Using her heroic seal, she went to the Sanctuary, where Jasper greeted her politely.

- "Good morning, Your Majesty".

- "Good morning, Jasper".

Suddenly, a big brown dog approached her barking happily.

- "Hello, boy! What are you doing here? Did you follow me?"

The dog licked her cheeks while she caressed his head.

- "Where do you need to go this morning, Your Majesty?"- asked Jasper.

- "I need to go somewhere different today, Jasper"- she said- "Do you think it's possible to activate a gate in the map that takes me around the Wraithmarsh?"

- "The Wraithmarsh, Your Majesty?"- gasped Jasper- "That's a dangerous place to go!"

- "I need to go there. Could you please activate a gate close to this location?"- she insisted.

- "I…I'll try, Your Majesty".

While Jasper inspected the map, the Queen went to the armory and took her loyal hammer, placing it on her back. As soon as she returned to the map room, Jasper turned around smiling happily.

- "I have done it, Your Majesty. The gate is not located exactly in the Wraithmarsh but very close to it".

- "Thank you, Jasper"- she said approaching the map- "Wish me luck".

The whole room moved around her violently and a few seconds later she found herself in a dark forest.

The Queen looked around and started walking among the black trees carefully. The sky was totally grey and all the vegetation seemed to be withered. She went on walking along a narrow path that seemed to go deeper into the forest.

- "_The Wraithmarsh must be close. Everything here is dead_"- she thought.

Suddenly, a foul smell confirmed her suspicions. She walked a few steps ahead and remained still for a moment, not believing her eyes.

She had heard tales about Oakvale, what a colorful and beautiful town it once was, always so full of life and joy. But what lied before her eyes had nothing to do with the descriptions she had read in books: a huge marsh had swallowed the entire area, burying everything on mud and dirty water; the once picturesque houses were now rotten structures about to collapse and the trees and bushes had all lost their green leaves and only black branches remained on their place.

Queen Nichole had never seen Oakvale, but somehow sadness invaded her heart.

- "_Who could have done something like this?_"

Suddenly, she felt a deep sense of dread and, despite not seeing anyone else around, she felt like she was being watched.

She followed a dry path that crossed the marsh slowly, looking around carefully. The loud cry of a crow startled her, and the Queen stopped walking and looked around nervously, grabbing her hammer.

Queen Nichole was a very brave woman and she had faced countless creatures in battle, but this place made her feel uneasy.

- "_Where must the amulet be?_"- she thought- "_The marsh is very big…_"

Still holding her weapon, she approached an old house which miraculously was still standing. She grabbed the knob and tried to open the door, but it collapsed and fell to the floor.

As she entered the house, the wooden floor creaked below her feet. A lot of rotten books lied around her along with some half-destroyed shelves.

- "_This must have been a library_".

She inspected every room but, apart from torn books and manuscripts and broken furniture, she found nothing.

The Queen turned around, ready to leave the house when something horrifying made her freeze: a grim hooded ghostly creature floated right before her eyes. No face could be distinguished inside its hood, only a pair of red glowing eyes.

- "_A banshee!_"

The Queen held her weapon firmly and tried to attack the creature, but it moved way too fast. The banshee shouted loudly, filling her with a deep feeling of dread and sadness. She ran towards it nimbly and hit its side with all her strength. The banshee tried to attack back, but she avoided it and hit its back accurately, making it disappear with a terrifying cry.

- "_I must be careful_"- she thought, still catching her breath.

She left the house and looked outside, but there seemed to be no more banshees around, so she placed her hammer on her back. The Queen went on walking around the marsh for a while, checking every place where she thought the amulet could be hidden.

Apart from the banshee she had defeated in the house and some undead that she had found on her way, the whole mission seemed to be going better than she had expected.

Suddenly, she reached a flooded area where the water reached up to her knees. The Queen walked carefully, trying to keep her balance until she reached a part of the marsh where the houses of what used to be Oakvale couldn't be seen anymore.

- "_Kalin told me the amulet used to be in Oakvale, so I'd better return to the village_".

Queen Nichole was getting out of the muddy area when she heard a ghastly voice calling for her.

- "Nichole…Queen Nichole…Come and join us….Come and become our Queen".

She grabbed her weapon and looked around nervously.

- "Who said that?"- she shouted firmly.

- "Join us…Join the people you lost…Join your dead parents…Join your beloved Elliot".

- "Show yourself!"- shouted the Queen angrily.

Suddenly, a group of banshees came out of the forest and surrounded her. One of them was whiter and bigger than the others and it seemed to be more powerful.

- "You had power over life and death…And you chose to kill him…You chose to kill the one who loved you most".

- "Shut up!"- said the Queen holding her hammer firmly and looking at them defiantly, trying not to hear the hurtful memories they were trying to revive on her.

- "You ripped a life…And now we will rip yours".

The banshees approached Queen Nichole quickly and she hit them with her weapon furiously.

The Queen was a great warrior, but the banshees were very fast, especially the Queen Banshee, that would attack her endlessly. Queen Nichole managed to defeat some of the lesser banshees, but when she was about to hit their Queen, it hit her badly and she fell to the floor.

- "Now, you die"- said the creature.

Queen Nichole tried to get her weapon but her whole body hurt. The Queen Banshee approached her slowly, along with its children. She stretched her arm as much as she could, trying to reach her hammer while the banshees were getting closer and closer to her.

- "_Come on, just a bit more…_"

Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the area and the banshees turned around and quickly disappeared.

Queen Nichole sighed deeply, relieved to be safe, and tried to get up slowly.

- "_What was that light?_"- she thought.

She looked around the marsh and spotted a dark hooded figure standing not far from her. The Queen took her weapon quickly and got up.

- "Who are you?"- she asked.

The hooded figure remained silent for a moment.

- "I am The Guardian".


	2. Chapter 2

Queen Nichole looked at the figure, still holding her hammer firmly.

- "The Guardian? Did you make the banshees disappear?"

- "I did"- the figure replied.

The Queen observed the mysterious figure for a moment: the voice sounded female and it was weak and grim, but she wasn't a banshee. A hood covered her head and her face couldn't be seen properly. Queen Nichole couldn't really make out whether she was human or not, but she had just saved her life so she couldn't be dangerous.

- "Thank you"- said the Queen placing her weapon on her back- "You saved my life".

- "You must leave"- said The Guardian firmly- "This is a dangerous place to be".

The Queen approached her slowly.

- "I'm looking for something. Maybe you can help me".

- "Nothing remains here…Everything was lost a very long time ago"- said The Guardian in a very sad tone.

Queen Nichole remained silent for a moment. That sadness in her voice…could she be human after all?

- "I'm looking for The Eye of Avo. It is an ancient amulet that can make darkness disappear".

The figure raised her head slightly.

- "Why do you seek it?"

- "I am Queen Nichole, the monarch of Albion. A few months ago I defeated the Crawler, a dark creature that threatened both Albion and Aurora. But now the shadows are back and I need the amulet to end this once and for all".

The hooded figure looked down and didn't reply.

- "Do you know where it may be?"- asked the Queen.

The Guardian placed her hand inside her tunic and took out a beautiful white amulet that looked like an eye. Queen Nichole looked at it and gasped in awe as she approached it slowly.

- "I need to take it with me"- said the Queen- "I promise I will bring it back once my task is complete".

The Guardian closed her hand around the amulet tightly.

- "I need it to protect the marsh"- she said- "Without it, the creatures will attack us".

The Queen frowned.

- "Us? Who are you referring to?"

The Guardian looked back and then lowered her head sadly.

- "The marsh is not abandoned. Some of us still live here".

Queen Nichole was very confused. There was no way a human could live in such a place…what kind of creature was this mysterious guardian? And what was she guarding?

- "Are you…human?"- the Queen asked.

- "Yes…"- The Guardian remained silent for a few seconds- "Or at least I used to be…"

- "Are the others human too?"

- "Yes…And I need to protect them. That's my duty".

The Queen was even more confused now. Were they some kind of dark cult?

- "The Wraithmarsh is not a nice place to live. What are you doing here?"

The Guardian looked down and Queen Nichole would have sworn that a tear rolled down her face.

- "They have nowhere to go and I must protect them…I must…"

The Queen didn't really understand what she meant but she felt sorry for her. Could it be they were homeless people?

- "You don't need to live here, we have shelters all around Albion. You can come with me and…"

- "We cannot leave; we belong here"- interrupted The Guardian firmly.

- "You belong here?"- the Queen frowned- "Are you…are you the descendants of the survivors of Oakvale?"

The Guardian just looked down and remained silent.

- "But…you can't stay here! This is a horrible place to live!"- said the Queen- "You should come to Bowerstone or Brightwall…or join the other descendants of Oakvale in Oakfield".

The Guardian raised her head quickly.

- "There were more survivors?"

- "Yes, and they went north to found Oakfield. My father used to tell me that".

The Guardian looked down and started breathing heavily. She then approached the Queen and opened her hand, offering her the amulet.

- "Take it"- she said firmly- "But I want something in exchange".

- "Anything"- replied the Queen.

- "I want you to take everyone with you. I want you to find shelter for them and make sure they are fine".

The Queen nodded.

- "I will; I promise".

The Guardian turned around and followed a little path across the forest. Queen Nichole followed her until they reached a clearing where some rudimentary houses stood. Next to them, there was a big cemetery with tombs marked with rotten wooden planks. Dozens of names could be read carved on them.

The Queen noticed that all of them had a lit candle on them which contrasted with the dark tone of the marsh.

- "These were the victims of Oakvale's destruction"- said The Guardian sadly- "I never let the flames douse; the shadows took their souls but they'll never take their bodies".

Suddenly, a group of people, children among them, left from the houses and looked at the Queen with curiosity. The Guardian walked towards them.

- "My people, it is time to leave the marsh; it is time for you, the descendants of Oakvale, to end your suffering"- she then turned to the Queen- "This is the Queen of Albion. You will go with her out of here to live a better life. Your lives in this cursed place are over".

Everyone looked at her and frowned.

- "And where will we go, my Lady? We have lived here all our lives"- said one of them.

- "I will take you to shelters around Albion. You can stay there for as long as you need to"- replied the Queen.

The people looked at each other, unsure of what to do. They had been born there, in the Wraithmarsh, generation after generation since their ancestors settled there after they survived the catastrophe of Oakvale. They all hated the marsh and its sadness, but this was the only place they knew and leaving it scared them.

- "Out there, a wonderful world awaits you, far from the darkness, far from the sadness, far from here…Go with her, get a better life for your children"- said The Guardian.

- "I promise you'll be alright"- said the Queen firmly.

An old man approached The Guardian slowly.

- "But can we…just leave? What about...them?"- he said with a terrified face.

- "I will take care of it. Now, go"- The Guardian replied.

Everyone got their few possessions and got ready to leave. They had started making their way out of the forest, following the Queen, when an old woman turned around and saw The Guardian standing still in the middle of the settlement.

- "Wait!"- she shouted- "Our Lady Guardian is not coming with us!"

The group stopped walking and looked at her.

- "We are not leaving without her! She has always protected us!"

The Guardian looked up and Queen Nichole could distinguish the outline of a delicate face, but her hood was still covering most of it.

- "I'll be with you soon. Just go ahead"- she said, trying to sound firm.

The group turned around slowly and went on walking, but the Queen still looked at the hooded woman, not believing her words. She asked the group to wait for her further down the path and approached her quickly.

- "You are not coming, are you?"

The Guardian looked away and walked towards the tombs.

- "It's too late for me…I have been here for far too long".

- "It's never too late. You can still have a new life out of here"- replied the Queen.

The Guardian turned her head and the Queen saw the outline of a sad smile.

- "I'll be fine…Just take them with you".

The Guardian kneeled before the tombs while the Queen looked at her, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, a young woman from the group approached them.

- "We are scared…We fear the banshees will come for us"- she said.

The Queen had promised The Guardian that she would take her people out of the Wraithmarsh and she had to keep her promise. She would have liked to convince her to come with them, but she seemed determined to remain here and she couldn't leave the group alone in the path much longer, the banshees or some other creatures might try to hurt them.

She sighed deeply and smiled to the young woman.

- "Don't worry, we are leaving already".

The Queen looked back at The Guardian while she led the group out of the Wraithmarsh until the fog hid her image.

The Guardian caressed the tomb that lied right before her and got up. She went down a narrow path until she reached the flooded village, where she stopped for a moment. As she looked around Oakvale, her eyes filled with tears.

- "_Now it will be over…Now I will join them_".

The Guardian went on walking across the village until she reached a dense forest full of black trees. She moved away some dead vegetation and she went down a path until she found herself in front of two ancient wooden doors which had a slot on them. She placed her hand on it carefully and the doors unlocked.

The Guardian entered the temple and made her way towards its heart, where three shadows stood in front of three skeleton thrones.

- "The people have left"- said the shadow in the middle with a grim voice- "Why did you allow that to happen?"

- "You lied to me"- said The Guardian furiously- "You told me there were no other survivors; you told me they wouldn't survive crossing the marsh, not even with my amulet!"

- "We didn't lie to you"- the shadow replied calmly- "No one else who was in the area survived. And they can cross the marsh now only because we allow it".

- "Then why didn't you allow it before? Why did you condemn all these people all these years to live on death itself?"

- "We already told you. We needed someone to take care of our land…and they needed a place to call home. It was a fair trade".

The Guardian, still with tears on her eyes, approached the edge of the stone platform that lied right above the abyss that separated her from the Shadow Judges and kneeled.

- "Take me, take my soul. Let me join my people at last".

The shadows remained silent for a moment.

- "That night, so many years ago, we did lie to you about something"- continued the shadow- "When you came here asking us who had done it, who had destroyed Oakvale and condemned its inhabitants, we told you that the man was dead. But he wasn't dead…he isn't dead".

The Guardian felt a strong pressure on her chest as she raised her head and looked at the Shadow Judges with wide-open eyes.

- "He is…alive?"- she asked with a trembling voice.

- "He is. He still honors our deal".

The Guardian looked down and started breathing heavily.

- "Before we reap your soul, wouldn't you like to ask him why he did it? Why he allowed this horrible tragedy to happen? Why he killed everyone you ever loved?"- said the shadow with an almost mocking tone.

- "Where is he?"- asked The Guardian as firmly as she was able.

- "That is for you to find out"- the shadow replied- "You may go now…Come back once your task is done and your curiosity…fulfilled".

The Guardian got up and left the temple. The words of the shadow still resonated on her mind: he was alive, the man who had destroyed her village, the man who had killed her family and friends, the man who had taken everything from her…

- "_I will find him_".


	3. Chapter 3

The Guardian walked along the path that would take her out of the Wraithmarsh. She was carrying a little bag tied across her chest where she had placed her few possessions and, despite having left the marsh, she was still wearing her robe and the hood still covered her face.

Since the night Oakvale was destroyed, so many years ago, she had been wearing hooded robes as a sign of eternal mourning for the dead and she felt that if she showed her face again, it would disrespect them. She didn't know why she had survived and she had been feeling guilty about it for as long as she could remember. Why was she alive when everyone else on the village, even her loved ones, had suffered such horrible deaths? Why did he do this? Why did he allow this catastrophe to happen?

The Guardian reached the end of the path, which led to a crossroads. She had to find that man, she needed to find him, she needed an answer…but she didn't know where to start looking for him. She knew some things about him that could help in her search: she knew his name and his profession. But a long time had already passed…would this little information be enough to find him around all of Albion? And what if he had left Albion? For all she knew, he could have even change professions.

- "_No_"- she thought- "_He loved being a pirate…he must still be one_".

The Guardian remained tho9ughtful for a moment and looked at a muddy path that lied before her.

- "_I must start my search in Bloodstone_"- she thought- "_That's where all pirates go…or at least used to_".

She started making her way to the coastal town, hoping to find it as she remembered it. As soon as she arrived, the shouts and laughter of pirates welcomed her. The streets were dirty and filled with urchins and women of ill-reputation, and a lot of pirate ships were tied to its harbor.

The Guardian had never liked Bloodstone, she had always considered it a dangerous place to go, but she was relieved to see that nothing had changed in all this time.

As she walked along the harbor, a feeling of nostalgia invaded her and tears filled her eyes as she looked at the ships' sails waving in the wind. It had been so long since she last came here and she had almost forgotten what life was like outside the Wraithmarsh. But she hadn't come here to reminisce about old times, she had to find him, she had to find the man who destroyed it all...

She quickly wiped her tears and looked around until she spotted an old man who seemed to be the watcher of the harbor.

- "Excuse me, sir"- she said, approaching him- "I'm looking for a certain pirate".

The old man looked at her and frowned.

- "There are a lot of pirates here, lass"- he said, trying to see her face.

- "The pirate I'm looking for is called Lucious…Lucious Willingham".

The old man raised his eyebrow and scoffed.

- "Lass, do ye know how many pirates by the name of Lucious are there here in Bloodstone? And we don't know about surnames here! Only nicknames".

The Guardian raised her head.

- "I…I don't know any nickname for him…"

- "Do ye know the name of his Captain or his ship?"- the old man went on.

- "Yes, he…he's a pirate on the Intrepid"- she lowered her head sadly- "I don't know who the Captain is".

- "The Intrepid?"- said the old man frowning- "There's no ship with this name in Bloodstone, lass".

- "Do you mean that it's not here at the moment?"

- "No, I mean that I have never seen such ship in Bloodstone. I have been a watcher since I was a kid and I can assure ye no Intrepid ship ever set anchor in this harbor"- he said firmly.

The Guardian sighed, feeling so disappointed. What would she do now? The old man seemed so convinced of what he was saying, but he was quite old, maybe his memory was already failing him. She had to ask someone else, someone who was a pirate and could have encountered the Intrepid in his trips.

- "Thank you for your time, sir"- she said while making her way to the local tavern.

It was not the first time that she went to The Leper's Arms and her memories of the place were not pleasant. As soon as she opened the door, she understood why they weren't: dozens of pirates shouted and laughed annoyingly loud while others were fighting with their sword dangerously close to the waitresses and other patrons, and others were flirting with prostitutes.

Seeing this scene made her feel glad she had stayed behind in the Wraithmarsh to protect her people all these years. Life in Bloodstone was not good or safe and, even though the marsh was also a dangerous place, she had made sure that no creature would ever hurt anyone living there. If only the shadows hadn't lied to her about the other survivors and the creation of a new village…

The Guardian entered the tavern and walked around the tables nervously, hoping to find the face of the man she was looking for, but he didn't seem to be there.

Suddenly, she spotted a tanned bald pirate in a corner. His arms were covered with tattoos and his ears filled with golden earrings. He seemed to be a quite experienced pirate, and she was sure that he had travelled a lot around Albion and must have known something interesting for her.

She approached him carefully.

- "Excuse me…I'm looking for someone".

The pirate looked at her with an annoyed expression.

- "And how is that me business?"- he replied irritated.

- "I'm looking for a pirate called Lucious…His ship is the Intrepid".

The pirate left his drink on the table violently.

- "I know no Lucious and no Intrepid"- he said aggressively- "Now get out of me face, ye filthy witch! I know yer kind…with all these robes and everything".

The Guardian frowned.

- "I'm not a witch, I can assure you. I'm just looking for this man and I thought you may have…"

- "Witch! Witch! We have a witch in our tavern! She will curse us all, she will!"- shouted the pirate loudly.

Suddenly, everyone in the tavern looked at her and booed, so she ran towards the door quickly, leaving the place.

The Guardian sighed. What would she do now? No one in Bloodstone so far seemed to know about the man or his ship and the pirates didn't seem so cooperative anyway. She was walking around the streets, hoping to find someone she could talk to when a voice behind her startled her.

- "Ye were asking about the Intrepid in the tavern, weren't ye?"

The Guardian turned around. Before her, she found a very old man dressed in pirate clothes. A black patch covered his right eye and he seemed to have trouble walking.

- "Yes, I was"- she replied- "Do you know where I can find it?"

- "Probably wrecked somewhere deep in the ocean"- he scoffed- "The only ship that has ever existed on Albion by this name disappeared mysteriously more than 200 years ago".

The Guardian approached the old man.

- "It…disappeared? Who was in the ship when it did? Please, tell me everything you know".

- "Well, I only know what the local legends say…They say the Intrepid was anchored in Oakvale the night when it was destroyed by demonic shadows and that Captain André and his crew died there".

The Guardian frowned. Dead? Could it be the Court had lied to her again?

- "Others, however, say that some survived…and the Intrepid continued sailing the seas, but no one ever heard of it again".

- "But if the crew continued sailing…wouldn't someone eventually hear about their trips?"- asked the Guardian, feeling very confused.

- "Yeah, I guess"- replied the old pirate- "Unless the ship was renamed and a new crew was gathered".

The Guardian raised her head and looked at the man from the darkness of her hood.

- "Is there any way to learn the new name of the ship?"

The old man sighed.

- "Why are ye so interested in an old ship anyway? A very long time has passed and probably it doesn't even exist anymore".

- "I'm looking for someone…And I believe he's a pirate on that ship".

- "Well, I know this may not sound very piraty or adventurous but, if ye are looking fer someone, why don't ye try the Royal Archives? They say the Queen has us all noted down in there. Maybe this person ye're looking fer is noted down there too".

The Guardian remained silent for a moment. Archives…if he was living in Albion, he had to appear there.

- "Where can I find these archives?"- she asked.

- "In the Royal Castle, where else?"- he replied laughing.

- "I'm afraid you'll have to tell me where the castle is, sir. I…I'm not from…here".

The old man raised his eyebrows, hardly believing that someone in the world hadn't heard of Bowerstone Castle.

- "It is in Bowerstone, lass. Big building, full of banners and guards. Ye can't miss it".

- "Thank you, sir".

The Guardian walked quickly towards the path that led out of town. There was a great distance between Bloodstone and Bowerstone and she needed some transportation to travel there. She approached a coach as she was searching for coins in her bag. She only found 2 gold coins and she feared that this wouldn't be enough to pay for the trip, but she really didn't have more since gold was meaningless in the Wraithmarsh.

- "Excuse me, sir"- she said to the driver- "I need to go to Bowestone…will 2 gold coins suffice? I don't have any more".

The driver looked at her with disdain.

- "That won't even take you to the crossroads! The trip to Bowerstone is 40 gold pieces".

- "Please, sir, I don't have anything else to give you and I really need to go there…"

The driver looked at her hands and smirked.

- "What about these beautiful rings you are wearing? I can take you there if you give them to me".

The Guardian touched her hand defensively and frowned.

- "I can't give them to you, sir".

- "Then leave me alone!"- he shouted.

She turned around and sighed. There seemed to be no other coaches around, so her only option was to walk to Bowerstone. I t was a long way to go, it would take her weeks, maybe more than a month to arrive, but she didn't mind: the passage of time meant nothing to her anymore.

She was already walking down the path that would take her to the city when a cart approached her.

- "Good day, my lady"- said the man who was driving it- "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with the coach driver. I'm a merchant, and right now I'm heading towards Bowerstone, so it is no trouble for me to take you in my cart".

The Guardian looked at him and smiled briefly.

- "I would really appreciate that, sir"- she took the 2 gold coins and handed them to him- "I'm afraid that's all I can give you".

- "Oh, no, please, keep your coins. I don't need any payment, I just happen to head the same way you do"- he pointed at the back of his cart- "Hop in, we are leaving".

The merchant was a nice man and he didn't stop talking to her and telling her stories about his trips while the Guardian listened in silence. Soon, her search would be over, these archives would surely have his information and soon she would find him, and the thought of seeing him again made her feel restless.

It took them a week to arrive to Bowerstone and, thanks to the merchant's experience, they had managed to avoid any trouble on their way.

When they arrived to the city, the Guardian looked around in awe: she had never been to Bowerstone before although she had heard about it and how beautiful it was. But the city's beauty surpassed even her own expectations.

- "Well, we are finally here"- said the merchant happily- "Welcome to Bowerstone, the proud capital of Albion".

The Guardian got off the cart and approached him.

- "Thank you very much for your help, sir. I'll be eternally grateful".

The merchant smiled.

- "It was my pleasure, lady. I always enjoy the company".

She smiled shyly and turned around, ready to leave.

- "Wait!"- said the merchant- "You are new to the city and you really seem to be in need of gold. If you are looking for employment, I suggest you go to Reaver Industries. The pay is horrible, but there's always a job for whoever needs it".

The Guardian remained silent for a moment and smiled faintly.

- "I'm actually looking for the Royal Castle".

- "Oh, well, you could be a maid there too!"- he said- "Just cross the market and follow the path up and you'll arrive to the castle in no time".

- "Thanks again".

The Guardian turned around and made her way to the castle and, just as the merchant had told her, soon she found herself in front of the wondrous palace.

She entered the gardens, which seemed to be unguarded, and crossed them slowly. Several nobles walked around them and looked at her with disdain, making awful remarks about her appearance.

Soon, she found herself in front of the main door, which was guarded by several guardsmen armed with sharp swords.

- "Halt!"- they said as she approached the door- "State your business".

- "I…I want to consult the Royal Archives".

- "I'm sorry, miss. The Archives are not open to the public".

This comment made her feel quite restless.

- "Please, sir. I really need to consult them, I need to find someone…"

- "I'm sorry, but we can't allow you to enter the castle. Move along, please".

- "But…"

- "If you don't leave, we will take you out of the premises by force, my lady".

The Guardian sighed in frustration and left. What would she do now? She really needed to check the archives, they were her only hope to find him.

She looked around and spotted a door that was ajar not very far from there. She hid behind some bushes and approached the door slowly while she observed the guards. The Guardian moved nimbly around the vegetation and, when the guards were distracted, she entered through the door.

As soon as she had entered, she crashed against something and fell to the floor. When she looked up, she saw a huge guard staring at her angrily. She tried to run away, but the guard caught her and tied her hands behind her back.

- "Did you really think it was so easy to break into the Royal Castle? No one steals from here!"

- "I don't want to steal anything! Please, let me go!"- said the Guardian trying to free herself.

- "You are going to spend the night in a nice cell until Her Majesty decides what to do with you tomorrow"- said the guard pushing her.

Suddenly, a voice stopped them.

- "What's going on here?"


	4. Chapter 4

The Guardian looked up: Queen Nichole stood in front of them. Her loyal dog Valjee remained by her side, observing the scene with curiosity.

- "Your Majesty"- said the guard bowing to her immediately- "I just caught this thief trying to break into the castle".

The Guardian remained silent while the guard looked at the Queen proudly, expecting to be congratulated on his action. Queen Nichole looked at the hooded woman and frowned.

- "Wait a second"- she said approaching her- "Aren't you…the Guardian? From the Wraithmarsh?"

The Guardian looked at the Queen and nodded shyly. The royal guard, who was still holding her, observed the scene in confusion.

- "Do you…know her, Your Majesty?"

- "We met some weeks ago in the Wraithmarsh"- the Queen looked at the guard- "Release her immediately, I owe this woman my life".

The royal guard untied the Guardian's hands and bowed to the Queen.

- "I'm very sorry, Your Majesty. I didn't know…"

- "Don't worry, James"- she replied with a smile- "You may leave".

As soon as the guard had left, Queen Nichole looked at the Guardian and smiled happily.

- "I'm very glad to see that you finally decided to leave from that dreadful place. But I don't understand…why did you try to break into the castle? Were you looking for me?"

The Guardian raised her head slowly and looked at the Queen from the darkness of her hood.

- "I need your help, Your Majesty. I need to consult the Royal Archives".

- "The Archives? Why do you need to consult them?"- asked the Queen raising her eyebrows.

- "I…I'm looking for someone and I don't know where he may be".

- "Oh, I see"- replied the Queen- "But you didn't have to sneak into the castle to see me; you could have just announced yourself at the entrance and I would have let you in".

The Guardian lowered her head, ashamed.

- "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I…"

- "Don't worry about that now"- the Queen interrupted her sweetly- "Come, let's go to the Archives".

Queen Nichole sent her dog to the gardens and led the Guardian across a long corridor to the Royal Archives. The Archives were located in a big room right under the castle, at the end of an endless spiral staircase. As soon as they arrived, the Queen opened the huge doors that stood at the entrance.

- "Please, come in".

The Guardian entered the immense room, looking at it in awe: it was filled with shelves that held countless books, all organized alphabetically. An old lady was sitting down behind a huge desk. When she saw the Queen, she got up and bowed to her politely.

- "Good day, Your Majesty. It is unusual to see you down here, how can I be of assistance?"

- "Good day, Mrs Grace"- the Queen turned to the Guardian- "My friend is looking for someone and she'd like to consult the Archives".

- "Of course, Your Majesty".

Mrs Grace looked at the hooded woman from above her glasses and frowned.

- "Who is this person you are looking for, miss?"

- "His name is Lucious…Lucious Willingham".

Mrs Grace left her desk and walked around the shelves until she reached one of them filled with thick books which had the letter W written on their spine. She took two of them and returned to the desk, opening the first one.

- "Let's see…Wellington…Widham…Wieder…Wigen…"

She closed the book and opened the other one.

- "Wilby…Wilkinson…Willand…Willingen…Oh, here it is, Willingham. Let's see now…Andrew Willingham…Benjamin Willingham…Ellen Willingham…Peter Willingham….That's strange, Lucious Willingham doesn't seem to be here".

The Guardian sighed in disappointment.

- "Can't you look for him somewhere else?"- the Queen asked Mrs Grace- "You must have some other book, we have a lot of books here".

Mrs Grace crossed her arms and sighed.

- "I suppose I could check the books organized by areas…"- she turned to the Guardian- "Do you have any idea where this man may be?"

The Guardian shook her head sadly.

- "I don't know…I'm sorry".

- "Then I'm afraid it will take me several hours to check them out, Your Majesty. There are a lot of towns and villages on Albion".

- "Or maybe we could help you"- replied the Queen- "Each one can check a different book".

- "Please, Your Majesty, you don't have to trouble yourself"- replied the Guardian immediately- "I will do it".

- "It is no trouble. I'm glad to help"- said the Queen smiling.

- "Alright, then let's start"- said Mrs Grace approaching some shelves and handing books to the two women.

Some hours later, they were checking the last remaining books.

- "Well, I'm afraid I didn't find anything in my books"- said the Queen placing the book she was holding on top of a pile of books- "Did you have any luck?"

- "Not me, Your Majesty"- said Mrs Grace placing a book called _Mourningwood_ on her desk.

The Guardian closed the book she was holding and shook her head. The Royal Archives were surely the most complete archives on Albion, so if the man she was looking for didn't appear here, her hopes of finding him would disappear.

Queen Nichole looked at the Guardian's sad face and felt sorry for her.

- "Are you sure there's nothing else we can do? Nowhere else we can look?"- she asked Mrs Grace.

The old woman remained thoughtful for a moment.

- "Are you sure this man you are looking for is in Albion, miss?"- she asked the Guardian.

- "No, I'm not…"

- "Oh, by the Light! Do you actually know anything about this man?"- scoffed Mrs Grace.

- "I know his name is Lucious Willingham and I know that he is…or at least used to be, a pirate".

Both the Queen and Mrs Grace were surprised by this new piece of information.

- "I was the one who checked Bloodstone's book, but there was no one by that name"- said Queen Nichole- "The few remaining pirates of Albion live there".

Mrs Grace sighed deeply.

- "If he's a pirate, maybe he moved to other lands where piracy is still at its peak"- she said- "Or maybe he's even dead".

- "He is not dead"- said the Guardian firmly- "I know he is not".

- "Well, in any case I will check the death records and if he's not there, then I'll try with the recorded departures by ship from the main harbors. That's all I can do, I'm afraid".

- "Thank you, ma'am"- said the Guardian- "If we can help you…"

- "No, don't worry, I'll handle it myself"- replied Mrs Grace walking towards some shelves in the back of the room- "Come back in a couple of hours".

Queen Nichole and the Guardian left the Archives and the to the castle's gardens, where Valjee welcomed them waving his tail happily.

- "Come, let's rest for a bit"- said the Queen pointing at a bench.

It was already late afternoon and the sun was about to leave the sky for the day. The Guardian sat down on the bench and smelt the flowers around her. It had been a very long time since she last had enjoyed the sweet aroma of flowers, so long that she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be surrounded by nature. A gentle breeze entered through her hood and caressed her face as she closed her eyes.

- "I have just noticed that you saved my life and now we have spent so many hours together and I don't even know your name"- said the Queen, breaking the silence.

The Guardian opened her eyes and looked at the Queen.

- "My name was lost a long time ago, along with everything I ever had…Now I'm just the Guardian".

- "You are not in the Wraithmarsh anymore, you are no longer a guardian"- replied the Queen- "I even think that you shouldn't be wearing these robes anymore. You seem young, you should forget about your past life and start a new one".

The Guardian looked down.

- "I…can't change these robes. I…it wouldn't be fair for them"- she sadi sadly- "I must mourn the dead forever".

The Queen sighed and nodded.

- "If this is what you wish, I'll respect your decision"- she replied softly.

The two women remained silent for a moment. The Queen looked at her and wondered what she must have been through to look so sad and, deep inside, she wished there was something she could do to help her. Maybe if she managed to locate the man she was looking for…

- "It may be none of my business but…who is this man you are looking for? Is he a relative of yours?"- asked the Queen.

The Guardian remained silent for a few seconds before replying.

- "He's just…someone I used to know".

- "You seem to be quite interested in finding him, he must be someone close to you".

The Guardian sighed.

- "It doesn't matter anymore, if he cannot be found in your Archives, my hopes of finding him will vanish".

- "Don't worry, we'll find him, I promise"- said the Queen firmly- "If he is not in the Royal Archives we'll go to Brightwall Academy and we'll consult their archives. It is said that they are even more complete than the ones in the castle".

A glimpse of hope sprang inside the Guardian. Maybe she would be able to find him after all…

- "Thank you, Your Majesty".

The Queen smiled.

- "Let's go back to the Archives. Maybe Mrs Grace has found something".

The two women made their way back to the Royal Archives, where Mrs Grace waited for them.

- "Did you find something?"- asked the Queen, eager to know.

- "Well…I did check the death records, but he's not listed there".

Despite her conviction that he was alive, the Guardian was relieved to hear that he was not dead.

- "I also checked the ship departures from Albion of the last 20 years…but he doesn't appear anywhere"- went on Mrs Grace- "So I decided to check some other documents of people who don't have a steady residence…but I couldn't find him there either".

Queen Nichole and the Guardian couldn't hide their disappointment.

- "However, I did find a Lucious Willingham on one of the books…"

Both women raised their heads and looked at the old woman expectantly.

- "But I'm afraid it can't be the man she's looking for. The Lucious Willingham I found lived in Oakvale more than 200 years ago…"

The Guardian's eyes became wide open.

- "_That's him_"- she thought.

- "Oh, well…We'll try to find him in Brightwall Academy's archives"- said the Queen.

- "Is there…any way to know what happened to that man from Oakvale?"- asked the Guardian suddenly.

Queen Nichole looked at her and frowned.

- "Why would you be interested in a man who died so many years ago?"

- "I…believe he could be a relative of the man I'm looking for. Maybe following the trail of this other man…"

Mrs Grace frowned and went back to her desk, where a big dusty book lied. She opened it and went through its pages quickly.

- "Every survivor of Oakvale's catastrophe went to Bloodstone or up to the north and founded Oakfield, but I'm afraid this Willingham man isn't listed anywhere…So he either died or he simply vanished…"

- "_He didn't die, I know he didn't_. _But, where is he?_"- thought the Guardian.

The Guardian sighed sadly.

- "Don't worry. In a few days we'll go to Brightwall to continue our search"- said the Queen trying to cheer her up.

Queen Nichole and the Guardian left the Archives and went upstairs, back to the main floor of the castle.

- "Thank you very much for your help, Your Majesty"- said the Guardian- "You have been most kind".

- "I'm just sorry we couldn't find this man you seek yet"- replied the Queen with a hint of sadness.

- "Don't worry, Your Majesty"- said the Guardian approaching the main door- "Whenever you have the time to take me to that Academy you mentioned, look for me around the market of Bowerstone".

- "Wait!"- said the Queen- "Where are you going? Do you have any place to stay?"

- "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine"- replied the Guardian smiling sadly.

- "You can't just sleep on the street. Please, stay here in the castle, I have a lot of empty rooms".

- "I'm really grateful, Your Majesty, but I'm afraid I can't accept. I have already bothered you enough…"

- "You haven't bothered me at all! Besides, you saved my life, remember? I owe you".

The Guardian remained still by the door, deciding what to do.

- "I…"

- "Please"- the Queen interrupted her.

- "Alright, but only for a few days".

Queen Nichole smiled and asked two of her servants to prepare a room for her.

- "Please, my lady, come with us"- said of the servants politely.

They led her to a big and tidy room which had a wooden bed covered with white silk sheets on its middle, a couple of night tables, an empty desk, a wide wardrobe and an ornamented lamp hanging from the ceiling. The walls had a pleasant shade of blue and on them there were two big windows covered with yellow curtains.

The servants cleaned the room quickly and left the room.

- "If you require anything, just call us"- said one of them before closing the door behind her.

The Guardian looked around the room and approached the bed, sitting down on it. It had been a very long time, way too long, since she last had enjoyed the comfort of a bed. She felt the softness below her and, just out of exhaustion, she let her body fall on the mattress. She caressed the silk sheets and closed her eyes. Right there, in the comfort of this bed, feeling the soft touch of the silk on her hands, she remembered her past life, the life she had before her hometown was destroyed, the life she had when she was happy…

A knock on the door made her go back to reality. She got up immediately and went to open the door.

Queen Nichole stood in front of her.

- "Do you like your room?"- she asked.

- "Yes, it is perfect".

The Queen smiled.

- "I just wanted to tell you that dinner will be served in a few minutes, but if you are not hungry, you can eat later. There's always food in the kitchen"- said the Queen- "Also, tomorrow I will be busy. I have an important audience with my advisors, so I won't be able to be with you. If you get bored, you can go to one of the libraries, walk around the gardens or go down to Bowerstone".

The Guardian nodded.

- "Thank you, Your Majesty, I will".

Queen Nichole was ready to leave when she turned to the Guardian again.

- "Well, I don't know if you'll be interested but you can also come to the audience if you wish, people can attend them. It will take place in the throne room, just upstairs".

- "I'll think about it, Your Majesty".

- "Very well. Goodnight!"

- "Goodnight, Your Majesty".

The Guardian lied down on her bed and closed her eyes again and, thinking about her beloved Oakvale, she fell asleep.

It was quite early in the morning when the Guardian woke up. The sun had just started appearing from the horizon and its first rays were entering shyly through the big windows of her room.

The Guardian got up and went in front of the mirror that was hanging above a dresser. She looked at herself for a moment, seeing the outline of her face through the darkness of the hood. In the Wraithmarsh, she didn't have any mirror but she had never wondered what she would look like after all these years, after all this suffering…She felt tempted to remove her hood, to see what she looked like now…but she was so afraid of what she might see. The Guardian walked away from the mirror and left her room.

The castle was so busy: servants were going up and down, cleaning everything thoroughly and she wondered if there was some kind of special event that day.

The Guardian remained still, thinking what to do. She loved being outdoors, but the gardens were generally full of snobbish nobles and she didn't feel like standing their impolite remarks about her presence there, so she decided to go to one of the libraries, where she could surely enjoy of some peace.

Numerous servants walked around the castle quickly, and the Guardian kept crashing against them in her attempt to reach the library.

- "Excuse me, my lady, I really need to clean the staircase. The audience is about to start"- said one of them.

The audience…She had forgotten that the Queen had mentioned it the previous night and she decided to go there instead.

She tried to make her way towards the throne room, but her path was cut by several guards before she could reach the staircase.

- "Sorry, miss, you can't pass yet. The advisors are about to arrive".

The Guardian stepped back, trying to escape from the crowd that was gathering around the stairs, and went to the next room, which now was almost empty. Some minutes later, the servants went back to the chores and the Guardian finally managed to make her way towards the throne room.

- "Did you see him? He looked great today"- said a young servant to another.

- "He always looks great"- replied the other giggling- "I wish I could work as a maid in his manor…But at least we get to see him at the audiences".

The Guardian looked at the young servants while she passed by their side. Were they talking about one of the advisors?

Things had changed so much since her times in Oakvale and she was really curious to see what this audience would be like. The doors of the throne room were opened and she entered and placed herself among the people who attended it, who seemed to be quite poor. Sitting on the throne, Queen Nichole presided the event, assisted by an old bald man dressed in elegant clothes. In front of her, there were two persons, probably the advisors: a black woman with dreadlocks on her hair and a defiant expression on her face, and a tall man dressed in elegant white clothes and a top hat, whose face she couldn't see.

Soon, the Queen's assistant started talking.

- "Ladies and gentlemen, today we are gathered here to decide the fate of the homeless citizens of Bowerstone. Page will offer her proposal; Reaver shall stand against her".

- "You may speak"- said the Queen firmly.

Page stepped forward and bowed to the Queen.

- "Your Majesty, after the attack of the Crawler, a lot of houses were destroyed and now a lot of loyal citizens of Bowerstone find themselves homeless, with no other option but to live in overcrowded shelters or forced to live in the streets. The shelters cannot accept any more people and every day, more and more people are getting sick due to the poor conditions they are living in. These citizens deserve a better life, the lives they had before the Crawler destroyed everything they had. Please, Your Majesty, rebuild their houses, give them a chance to start over, to have a decent life. They have already suffered enough".

The Guardian looked at the people around her: they hugged each other sadly, looking at the Queen with begging eyes.

- "_They are probably the ones who lost their homes_"- she thought, looking at them with pity.

Reaver stepped forward and bowed his head to the Queen politely.

- "Your Majesty, the attack of the Crawler was indeed devastating for all of us and I for one cannot agree more that what happened to these pitiful people is an utter tragedy. However, it was not you who destroyed their lovely abodes, but that horrible creature, so there is no reason for you to be responsible for their misery. Houses get destroyed for various reasons all the time, are we going to be rebuilding every single one that gets damaged in Albion? If that was the case, I'm afraid your coffers would always be empty and our blossoming kingdom would ultimately collapse. I suggest you let them live in the shelters which I kindly helped to build until they can afford their own home and keep the gold for more important endevours".

Reaver…where had she heard that name before?

- "_The merchant who took me here told me about Reaver Industries_"- she thought.

- "What? So we just let them die in the street? There's no room for everyone in the shelters!"- replied Page quite angrily looking at Reaver with hate.

- "Well, if they want their houses back they should pay for them, just like everybody else. It is only fair".

That voice…why did it sound so familiar? The Guardian looked at the man but, from the place she was standing, she could only see his back and barely the side of his face.

Page turned to the Queen.

- "Your Majesty, these people have lost their jobs. Most of them had stores in the city but they were badly damaged and now they can't afford to repair them. If at least we give them their homes, it would be a start to rebuild their lives".

- "If they want their homes back so badly, I could actually rebuild them…for an insignificant price".

That voice…The Guardian started feeling restless for some reason.

- "Price? Do you want to take the little gold they have left in exchange of their own homes?"- said Page angrily.

- "Of course not, my dear! I'm merely suggesting that they work their debt in my factories. You should thank me for my generosity, not only am I offering to give them their houses back, but I'm giving them purpose in this society".

A woman in the crowd started crying loudly. The Guardian looked at her and felt really sorry for her. Who was this despicable man? And most importantly, why did his voice sound so familiar?

- "You can't do this to us!"- shouted the woman's husband.

Reaver turned around and looked at the couple with disdain.

- "Oh, please, what ungrateful people!"- he scoffed.

As soon as the Guardian saw his face, she got pale. A big pressure on her chest made it difficult for her to breathe, and she placed her hand on her heart, trying to control the anxiety that was growing inside her.

It couldn't be…He couldn't be…

The Guardian stepped back, crashing against the people behind her.

- "You are a monster!"- shouted Page- "Your Majesty, please, you can't allow him to enslave your people"

- "Enslave? That's a horrible thing to say. I prefer to call it _voluntary work_".

- "Enough!"- said Queen Nichole firmly- "I'm sorry, Reaver, but I can't approve of your solution. The people of Bowerstone have suffered enough. The houses will be rebuilt, just as Page suggested".

- "The Queen has spoken. The destroyed houses will be rebuilt…on the Crown's expense".

Everyone cheered happily. The Guardian still held her chest, breathing heavily. She wanted to get out of there, she needed to leave this room…

- "Thank you, Your Majesty"- said Page, bowing to her- "Your citizens will be pleased to hear of your decision".

- "Oh, well, I suppose I couldn't expect a whimsical monarch like yourself to see a good business opportunity…"

The Guardian pushed the people on her way and left the throne room immediately, running directly to her bedroom.

Reaver, that horrible man who seemed to be the Queen's advisor…he was the man she was looking for, the man who had taken away from her everything she had, the man who had shattered her dreams and her future.

It had been many years since she last had seen him, but she still remembered him vividly…and the man she used to know would have never acted in such a selfish and evil way like he had done in the audience. Even his appearance looked different: he looked paler, almost exhausted, like something was consuming him.

She really wanted to confront him, she really wanted to ask him why he did that terrible thing back in Oakvale…He had been so close to her earlier, but she hadn't had the courage to approach him.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. The Guardian stepped backwards and hit her back against the wall, looking at the door with wide open eyes.

- "Are you there? Are you alright?"

As soon as she heard the Queen's voice, she ran towards the door and opened it.

- "Yes, Your Majesty. I'm fine".

- "I saw you running so fast from the throne room. Are you sure you are alright?"

- "Yes…it's nothing"- replied the Guardian, trying to sound firm.

- "Very well. I'll be in the War Room, if you need me".

Queen Nichole turned around, ready to leave.

- "Your Majesty!"- shouted the Guardian, prompting the Queen to come back to her- "There's something I'd like to ask".

- "Of course. What is it?"

The Guardian remained silent for a moment.

- "That man…your advisor. Who is he?"

The Queen raised her eyebrows.

- "Reaver? He's the owner of all the industry of Albion. Why do you ask?"

The owner of all the industry? This piece of information surprised the Guardian.

- "And…has he been here for long?"

- "Well, he became an industrialist some years ago, when my brother handed control of all the industry to him, and since them he's been living around here".

- "Do you know where he lives?"- asked the Guardian shyly.

Queen Nichole frowned.

- "He lives in Millfields, in the biggest manor that overlooks Bowerstone Lake…But why so much interest? He's a dangerous man, I don't recommend you to approach him".

The Guardian frowned.

- "Dangerous? What do you mean?"

- "Well, let's say that he's not the forgiving kind…and you have a big chance to end up dead if you get on his wrong side, so it's better to keep your distance from him".

These words hurt the Guardian so much to hear…what kind of monster had he become?

- "Thank you, Your Majesty"- she said, going back to her room.

She was really afraid to go and see what Lucious Willingham, the man she had been looking for, had transformed into, but she needed to know…

- "_I will go_"- she thought- "_Even if it kills me to see him, I will go_".


	5. Chapter 5

- "Let's go to the party, my love".

A beautiful young woman dressed in an astonishing wedding gown held his hand and pulled him away from a crystalline lake. He remained still by the lake's shore and pulled her back.

- "Wait, my darling. I…I can't go there yet".

The woman looked at him and frowned.

- "Why not? What's wrong?"

- "Nothing is wrong, my dear. I just need to go…to do something before we leave tonight".

The young woman looked at him puzzled as the breeze waved her red hair gently.

- "Alright…but don't take long".

She hugged him.

- "I love you so much, Lucious".

- "I love you too, Mrs. Willingham".

The woman chuckled happily.

- "We'll be waiting for you at the party"- she said touching her belly and disappearing through the forest.

Suddenly, the environment turned dark, as if everything around him had lost its life. Numerous shadows flew quickly around the trees, making their way towards his beloved Oakvale.

- "Stop it, please! Stop it!"- he shouted as he ran through the forests as fast as he could.

- "Take it back! Take my immortality, but please, stop this!"

Before him, the village of Oakvale was getting attacked by horrifying shadows who reaped the souls of every person on their way.

- "Dainara! Dainara!"- he shouted, trying to find his wife.

- "Lucious! Lucious, help me!"

He turned around and made his way towards her quickly. Her eyes were full of tears and she looked so scared.

- "Lucious, please!"

When he was about to reach her, a group of shadows held him back. One of them approached her threateningly.

- "No! Leave her alone!"

- "Lucious! Lucious, help me! Lucious!"- she shouted desperately.

The shadow hit her chest and she fell to the floor lifeless.

- "No! No! Dainara!"

He gasped.

Reaver sat on his bed breathing heavily, his face and body covered by a cold sweat. He looked around him: a group of men and women, all naked, lied on his bed sleeping peacefully. He frowned and pushed his way out of his bed, taking an elegant red robe and putting it on.

He left the bedroom and went to his office, where he sat behind a big wooden desk. Reaver rubbed his eyes and forehead and sighed deeply. Why did he still have such nightmares? For how long must he live before they fell silent? These memories didn't belong to him, not anymore…they belonged to another man, to another time.

Despite his attempts to convince himself that he was not the man from his dreams, he felt an acute pain in his chest.

- "_Dainara…_"- he thought, closing his eyes as the pain got more intense.

Those dreams, those nightmares had been haunting him for hundreds of years since that dreadful night…That night when he made the most terrible mistake of his life, the night when he let everyone die, when he let her die…

He took a little key from his desk and slowly unlocked one of its drawers. Inside, there was a beautiful medallion made of gold and precious stones carefully placed inside a wooden box, along with a wedding ring. He reached his hand for the drawer and caressed them sweetly.

It hurt…It hurt too much…He couldn't allow it…

Reaver closed the drawer angrily and opened a little cabinet below the desk, taking out a bottle of wine and a chalice. He poured some wine in the chalice with shaking hands and drank it immediately. He repeated the process several times until the warmth of the wine replaced the bitterness of his thoughts.

Suddenly, the door opened.

- "Oh, I'm sorry Master Reaver. I thought you were still in bed".

And old woman stood in front of him, surprised to find him there. She was wearing a black dress and a pair of small glasses, and her white hair was tied on a tight bun.

Reaver raised his head slightly and looked at her.

- "I was going to clean your office. I will come back later"- she went on.

- "Could you do me a favour?"- he said dryly- "Could you remove everyone from my bedroom, please?"

The old woman remained still by the door, looking at him concerned.

- "Bad dream again, Master?"

Reaver drank another chalice of wine and placed his hand on his forehead.

- "Be gone and do as I said".

The old woman looked down and closed the door, leaving him alone.

No…Those dreams were not his, he was not that weak despicable man who was so afraid of death, he was not the man who lost everything he ever had…

- "I am Reaver"- he said firmly holding another chalice of wine.

And, after drinking it, he fell on the desk exhausted.

Meanwhile, in the Royal Castle, the Guardian got ready to leave. She had got up early, before the castle's routine began for the day. She left her bedroom and crossed the long corridors of the castle quickly, making her way towards the kitchen, where there was a back door. She didn't want anyone to see her leaving the castle, she didn't want to explain to anyone where she was going.

The previous night, she hadn't managed to sleep. The memories of that moment in the throne room, when she had managed to see him after so long haunted him, especially after seeing how much he had changed.

The owner of all the industry of Albion…Reaver Industries. This thought resonated on her mind once and once again.

- "_I have to go…I must see these industries they all mentioned_"- she had thought.

The Guardian left the castle's premises, making her way towards Bowerstone Industrial. She knew it was not far from there, at least according to the map she had seen back in the castle hanging in one of the rooms.

She crossed the colourful Bowerstone Market, which was already full of merchants selling their wares despite the early time.

Soon, the area got darker and grimier and the people around her were not cheerful merchants anymore, but dirty and sad-looking citizens who carried boxes from one building to another. A strong smell of burnt carbon filled the streets, making it difficult to breathe properly.

The Guardian looked at one of the ominous buildings: it had some kind of logo with two Rs painted on it, each one facing a different direction.

- "_This must be it. These must be his factories_"- she thought.

She looked around and approached a factory which doors were wide open. Dozens of workers worked without a rest in a long mechanical assembly line while a bald severe-looking man watched them carefully.

- "Come on, move faster, you lazy maggots!"- he shouted angrily- "Do you want me to use the whip?"

The workers started moving as fast as they could. The Guardian looked at their faces: they all looked tired and sick, like they had been forced to be working all night long without a rest.

One of the workers started coughing loudly.

- "What are you doing, you idiot?"- shouted the bald man.

- "I'm sorry, sir. I think I need a rest…please"- the worker replied, still coughing badly.

- "A rest?"- laughed the bald man- "Do you want to tell Master Reaver that you asked for a rest? He will be very pleased, I'm sure he'll even cure your damn cough. Once you are dead, you won't cough anymore".

The worker coughed even louder and held his chest.

- "No…please…I will…"

The bald man grabbed the worker's arms and pushed him back to the assembly line, making him fall to the floor while the Guardian observed the scene in horror. She entered the factory quickly as the man was ready to drag the worker to his place.

- "Stop! Leave this man alone!"

Both men looked at her surprised. The bald man frowned.

- "Who on Skorm are you?"

The Guardian looked at him defiantly.

- "Do not touch this man! Don't you see he's sick?"

- "And why should I care? Get out of here and mind your own business, woman!"

The Guardian got really angry by this comment.

- "Does your master know how you are treating his workers?"

The bald man scoffed.

- "Of course he does! He's the one who asked me to go hard on these worthless bastards!"

The Guardian looked down and tried to conceal the deep sadness that learning this caused her. She approached the worker and offered him her hand.

- "Are you alright, sir? Let me help you".

The worker looked at her for a few seconds and held her hand, getting up from the floor.

- "Thank you, my lady".

Suddenly, the bald man grabbed her clothes and dragged her out of the factory violently, making her crash against a child who was passing by. The Guardian approached the child quickly and helped him up.

- "I'm very sorry! Are you alright?"

The child smiled sadly.

- "Don't worry, ma'am".

The Guardian looked at him and got pale: he was wearing the same clothes as the workers in the factories and his look was as sad as theirs. His small cheeks were stained by a black substance.

- "Do you…work?"- asked the Guardian, hardly able to speak.

- "Yes, ma'am. And I really need to go before I get in trouble"- he said running down the street.

The strong pain she had felt the previous day came back to her chest while a tear fell down her cheek.

- "_That's not possible…It can't be true. This is horrible_"- she thought, wishing she was just inside one of her nightmares- "_I need to know, I need to understand why_".

Far from there, in Millfields, everyone was busy in Reaver's Manor. A group of servants, all young and good-looking, were setting the table for breakfast while an old woman supervised everything carefully.

- "Come on, it is almost time!"- she said- "Our Master will be down here any moment now".

The servants placed delicious food on the elegant table. One of them, a brunette young woman, approached the old woman shyly.

- "Mrs. Norrington, do you think I could ask about a raise today?"

Mrs. Norrington shook her head.

- "I don't think that's a good idea, girl. Especially, not today".

- "But…he told me that if I worked hard enough I would get it. And…I have done everything he asked me to do"- the young maid replied, blushing.

Mrs. Norrington sighed.

- "Some other time, dear. Trust me".

Suddenly, the door of the tea room opened and Reaver appeared in front of them, wearing his usual elegant attire. Every servant in the room bowed to him politely.

- "Good morning, Master Reaver"- said Mrs. Norrington- "Did you rest well, sir?"

- "Good morning to you too. Of course I rested well, my dear, I always do. Unless some naughty bed partner entices me with more pleasant plans…"- he replied in his usual tone, as if nothing had happened earlier.

He sat at the table and looked at everything on it. A young servant approached him and served him some tea.

- "My, my, what a nicely set table we have here"- he then turned his head and looked at the servant smirking provocatively- "Everything looks so delicious today".

The servant blushed and left the teapot on the table. Reaver took his cup and started drinking his tea while he glanced through the pages of a newspaper.

- "Oh, dear! Why must everyone say such lies about me? What do they know about business?"- he took another sip of his tea- "Barry! Where is he now?"

Barry Hatch appeared quickly through the kitchen's door, chewing some food.

- "I'm here Master Weaver!"

Reaver frowned and looked at him disgusted.

- "When will you learn manners?"- he sighed- "Anyway, could you please find out who is writing these inaccurate facts about me? I'd like to pay them a visit and…correct them".

- "Of course, Master Weaver".

- "Very good. And will you please read my agenda for today?"- he asked while he placed some delicious sweets on his plate.

- "Today you have a meeting with a supplier in your offices of Bowerstone, Master. And later you have another…meeting with a Miss Valerie, sir".

- "Oh, yes, I had forgotten. Busy day, I see"- he drank what remained of his cup and got up- "Well, I'd better get to work. I'll be in my office checking some accounting and I am not to be disturbed unless it is deadly important, is that clear?"

Everyone nodded quickly.

- "Very well"- he said smiling and making his way towards his office.

He had been checking the accounting of his industries for a while when the bell on the main door rang.

- "Barry, please, answer the door. If they seek Master Reaver, just dismiss them"- said Mrs. Norrington.

Barry approached the main door and opened it. A young woman, whose head was covered by a dark hood, stood before him.

- "Hello"- he said- "Can I help you, miss?"

The Guardian remained silent for a moment, unable to decide what to do or say. Her heart was beating fast in her chest.

- "I…I want to see your Master"- she said in an almost inaudible way.

- "What? Master Weaver? I'm afraid he's not available at the moment".

The Guardian looked down.

- "I…need to talk to him. It is urgent".

- "I'm sowwy, miss. Come back some other time"- said Barry closing the door.

Before he could close it completely, the Guardian held it with her hand and looked at him.

- "Please".

Barry sighed.

- "Alwight…I may get into trouble for disturbing him, but I'll try. Wait here, please".

Barry made his way towards Reaver's office and knocked softly.

- "Who dares to disturb me?"- shouted Reaver angrily.

Barry opened the door slowly.

- "Barry…what part of "_I am not to be disturbed_" didn't you understand?"- he asked trying to control his anger.

- "I'm sowwy, Master Weaver. But there's a young hooded woman at the door asking to see you".

Reaver sighed, feeling quite annoyed.

- "So? I can't see anyone now".

- "Well, I thought that maybe you'd make an exception for a young woman".

- "Barry, dear, I have all the women that I desire, why would I be interested in the only one who is bothering me?"

- "Alwight, Master. Sowwy"- said Barry making his way out of the office.

- "Did you say a hooded woman?"

Reaver's voice stopped him.

- "Yes, Master Weaver. I could hardly see her face".

- "Hmpf…How very curious. Actually, now she got my attention. Ask her to come to my office, let's see what she wants".

Barry went back to the door, where the Guardian waited nervously.

- "Master Weaver allows you to see him. Please, follow me".

The Guardian pulled her hood to cover her face even more and followed the butler. When they arrived at Reaver's office, Barry opened the door and invited her in with a gesture of his hand. She entered slowly, unable to look at the man who waited for her in front of his desk.

As soon as Barry left, Reaver looked at her with curiosity and smiled.

- "Hello there. Please, my dear, take a seat"- he said pointing at a nearby chair.

The Guardian remained still, rigid, unable to move, speak or even breathe. The pressure had returned to her chest and she felt like a thick rope was tied to her neck, making her unable to even utter a word.

Reaver raised his eyebrow.

- "My butler has told me that you wish to talk to me, so here I am".

The Guardian's heart was about to leave her chest. She bit her lower lip, trying to stop it from shaking.

- "A little shy, aren't we?"- Reaver sighed- "Listen, darling, I'm a very busy man and I cannot waste my time with you, so you'd better tell me what you want before I lose my patience".

The Guardian swallowed and kept looking at the floor.

- "Alright, time's up. Get out of here!"- said Reaver angrily- "You are lucky I'm in a good mood today, otherwise I would just kill you for wasting my time".

- "Would you do it?"- said the Guardian suddenly- "Would you kill me…again?"

Reaver remained silent for a moment, looking at the Guardian confused.

- "Again?"- he scoffed- "Let me assure you, my dear, that if I ever wanted to kill you, or anybody else for that matter, you would be most dead".

- "That's what you do now? Killing people?"

The sad bitterness of her voice caught his attention. Suddenly, for some reason, Reaver started feeling quite restless.

- "I have always done that, darling…"

- "No"- she interrumpted him firmly- "You have changed…"

A tear rolled down her cheek. Reaver frowned.

- "Who are you?"- he asked.

- "Who I am is not important anymore"- she said turning around to leave the room.

Reaver approached her quickly and grabbed her arm firmly. Suddenly, he noticed the two rings she was wearing. As soon as he recognized them, he got pale: those were the rings he had given to the woman he loved a very long time ago, before everything happened, before darkness fell upon them…

- "Where did you get these rings?"- he asked, shaking her violently- "Why do you have them?"

The Guardian just looked down and didn't reply.

- "Tell me where you found these rings or I swear I will…"

- "Kill me? Is that what you will do…Lucious?"- the Guardian removed the hood from her head slowly- "Or shall I call you Reaver now?"

As soon as he saw her face, Reaver let her arm go and recoiled, crashing against his desk.

It couldn't be…It was impossible…

The only woman he had ever loved, the one he had been missing every day of his life since that dreadful night, the one he thought had died back in his beloved Oakvale, stood right before him like a ghost from the past.

- "Da…Dainara…"


End file.
